Injuries force Davis to rethink firing CallahanOakland Tribune columnist Monte Poole: "It wasn't much of a leap to jump into the future and imagine someone other than Callahan on the sideline. Davis, in the back of his mind, may have started his search. But now that Mirer, Johnson and Martin are the quarterbacks on the roster, the issue has become downright cloudy."

What's next for Raiders, Gannon?San Francisco Chronicle: "Unfortunately for Gannon, he won't have much of a say in the matter. When the Raiders signed him to a six-year, $54-million extension in July, 2002, the deal was structured with the 2004 season in mind as his swan song in silver and black. This injury could accelerate that divorce."

`Playmaker' must be a hit at contract timeCharlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen (registration required): "Because the Panthers are otherwise engaged -- and ought to be --with football matters until January, they might not find time to extend Smith's contract until the season ends. Smith will become a restricted free agent then, which means if another team offers him a lucrative deal, the Panthers have the right to match it. But the Panthers would be foolish to allow Smith to dangle, and they are unlikely to."